The present invention relates to enclosed article carriers for mounting to an exterior surface of a motor vehicle and particularly to article carriers which may be easily removed from the surface of the vehicle for storage.
Various types of enclosed article carriers have been disclosed in the past. For example, the article carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,464 consists of a small boat hinged at its center. The two halves of the boat are folded together to form an enclosure therebetween. The boat is mounted to the roof by means of straps. The article carrier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,184 consists of a series of slats fastened to the roof of a vehicle in a spaced apart, parallel relationship. A cover is removably fastened to the first and to the last of the slats. The article carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,965 consists of a self-contained rectangular enclosure. Access to the interior of the enclosure is provided by two hinged side doors of the type sometimes known as "gull wing" doors.
The trend of recent years has been towards lighter weight motor vehicles so as to reduce the amount of fossil fuel that is consumed by each vehicle. The reduction of weight of vehicles and the consequent reduction of the exterior dimensions of the vehicles have often been accompanied by a reduction in interior space. While many engineering advances have helped to reduce exterior dimensions without a substantial loss of passenger comfort, there has been a substantial decrease in storage space available in many of the smaller cars. The storage space typically is insufficient when the vehicle is to be used for travel. Thus, there has been an increased need for a convenient and a safe means for carrying articles outside of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, there has also been an increasing amount of theft and malicious crime associated with motor vehicles. It is therefore desirable to have an article carrier with a locked internal article carrying compartment to inhibit theft. Such an article carrier should be easy to remove from the vehicle when the article carrier is not needed, but should be difficult or impossible to remove when the article carrier is in use and is locked. Such an article carrier should have provision for expanded carrying capacity beyond that provided in the enclosed space when more space is needed.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an enclosed article carrier that may be rapidly removed from the vehicle when the article carrier is not in use. Another object of the present invention is to provide a lockable enclosed article carrier wherein the fasteners securing the article carrier to the vehicle are inaccessible when the article carrier is locked. Another object of the present invention is to provide an enclosed article carrier that is readily convertible into an open article carrier of increased capacity wherein the cover is stored in the article carrier. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an article carrier having fasteners removably securing the article carrier to the vehicle wherein the fasteners will not vibrate loose when the vehicle is in motion or be caused to be activated by a downward force. Still another object of the present invention is to provide such fasteners wherein the fasteners will not separate from the article carrier when the article carrier is not fastened to the vehicle.